5 Awesome Frosting Recipes that Will Take Your Cakes to the Next Level

If you’re a baker, you might spend oodles of time trying to perfect your cake recipes. You may find yourself having to exchange ingredients, change baking times or adjust the temperature based on any number of factors. I know from experience that baking is a science, and it takes time and energy to get it right. The best bakers put so much into their craft, and I always feel bad that all that work kind of falls by the wayside as soon as anyone mentions frosting.

Let’s face it – the worst cake in the world can be made better with the right frosting. Often that’s the only part that even gets eaten! So I have found that in order to make up for my less than stellar baking skills (and to balance out the fact that I often use boxed mixes instead of homemade!), these five frosting recipes will enhance most anything.

First up is plain Vanilla Frosting. This is the basic recipe that I use, and it should always turn out perfect if you want just a nice topping for your cake or cupcake. Add sprinkles or other decoration if you desire.

Ingredients

3 Cups powdered sugar
1 C salted butter (room temperature)
1 Tea vanilla extract
1 to 2 TBSP Heavy whipping cream

In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and heavy whipping cream and beat it all together until well combined.

Next, a plain Chocolate Frosting. This is a great go-to for a simple chocolate cake, and you can drizzle chocolate syrup over the top to enhance it even further.

Ingredients

1 C unsalted butter, softened
3/4 C cocoa powder
3 C powdered sugar
3/4 C heavy cream

Beat the softened butter on its own until smooth. Add cocoa and powdered sugar alternately with heavy cream  into the creamed butter until it becomes a smooth and thick texture. If the frosting is too thick, add more heavy cream, if too thin, add more powdered sugar.

Like the three basic milk shake flavors, we have the same in frosting. We round them out with this strawberry version, which is amazing on most any cake base. Try garnishing with a fresh strawberry for an amazing presentation.

Ingredients

1 C Butter (room temp)
4 + C Powdered sugar
4 TBSP Heavy whipping cream
10 Fresh strawberries, puree

Create your strawberry puree by placing 10 fresh strawberries (with stems removed) into a food processor. Beat butter until creamed and then add the powdered sugar. Add whipped cream and pureed strawberries. Test to make sure the frosting can hold a stiff peak. If not, add 1/2 C powdered sugar.

*Hint: this recipe can be a little finicky at times. The strawberries can make the frosting watery if you’re not careful, so if you find it a little thin, just add more sugar until it works.

Another great frosting which is a little less ordinary is this Cherry Frosting. It works much in the same way as the strawberry version, but it’s just a bit more exciting.

Ingredients

2 sticks un-salted butter (room temp)
4-5 cups Powder sugar
5 tbsp Maraschino cherry juice

In large mixing bowl, beat butter on high speed until stiff and fluffy. Add 3 cups of sugar, one at a time. Scrape the sides to get all of the sugar into the mix. Now add the cherry juice and the last cup of sugar. Beat until smooth.

The final recipe in our repertoire is this Oreo Frosting, also known as Cookies ‘n Cream Frosting. This is probably my favorite of the lot. Creamy and crunchy and with a lot of dimension in taste, it is a surefire crowdpleaser!

Ingredients

3 Cups powdered sugar
1 C salted butter (room temperature)
1 Tea vanilla extract
1 to 2 TBSP Heavy whipping cream
12 Oreo’s crumbled

In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and heavy whipping cream and beat it all together until well combined. Finally, add the oreos and mix until just combined.

There you have it. Five amazing recipes that will bring life to your baked goods. These will wow all your friends and make your next bake sale a huge success!

Enjoy! And don’t forget to share or pin!

Katie Reed

Katie Reed is a passionate writer and mother of four vivacious boys from Salt Lake City, Utah. Drawing from her own journey through TTC, pregnancy, and the joys of raising children, she offers a wealth of insight into the world of motherhood. Beyond her heartfelt tales, Katie delights her readers with family-friendly recipes, engaging crafts, and a curated library of printables for both kids and adults. When she’s not penning her experiences, you’ll find her crafting memories with her husband and sons—Dexter, Daniel, Chester, and Wilder.